Is there a common setting to overlap tracks so they dont cut eachother off?

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Music Afficionado
Member Since: Aug 12, 2008

Stay with me for a sec:

I use Digital Performer (DP). Often times when someone records a hook - say 4 bars, sometimes as many as 8 takes - that they want looped so its 8 bars, the second hook will need to start before the first 4 bars has completely finished. If I just did a copy and paste and lined the second 4 bars up to be on beat, it will cut off the end of the first 4 bars where they overlaps. Therefore, I have to add 8 new audio tracks and copy and paste them in there.

In Cool Edit Pro if I remember correctly you can select "Mix Paste" which will allow you to paste a track over an existing one without cutting off the original. You can even set the Mix % so as to keep the volume as consistent as possible when both tracks are playing.

Doesnt seem to be too many DP users on here, but is there anything in the systems you guys are using that would solve my problem? I have found a lot of similarities with DP and Pro Tools, Cubase, etc. so if I hear about certain options, I can go look for them on DP. Thanks.

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Prince CZAR-ming
Member
Since: Apr 08, 2004


Apr 01, 2009 01:29 pm

Reaper automatically overlaps, and puts in the cross-fades for you, so one drops, the other comes up.

you can change the shape of the fade (slow then fast, fast then slow, etc) and also change the length of the fade for each item.


http://www.reaper.fm/screenshots/audio-arrange.png



If you look at the posted image, there's a cross-fade on 07.wav


Rockstar Vatican Assassin
Member
Since: Mar 20, 2009


Apr 01, 2009 01:39 pm

Hahaha... I have to ask first... why not just record the entire 8 bars to prevent it in the first place? But assuming that isn't possible, can you layer these recordings as multiple tracks? So instead of overlaying the 4-bar recordings across a single track, span them across two, with the first 4 bars on top, the second 4 on bottom, the next 4 on top, etc.... Then, just align them so the outro to the first 4 bars coincide with the intro to the second 4 bars. Otherwise, pjk has the right idea... modify/customize your cross-overs.

Music Afficionado
Member
Since: Aug 12, 2008


Apr 01, 2009 01:56 pm

"why not just record the entire 8 bars to prevent it in the first place?" - it would be impossible to do it b/c they overlap musically/time-wise. Meaning, the last word of the 4th bar doesnt end until after the first word of the 5th bar.

"can you layer these recordings as multiple tracks?" - thats what I'm doing. I should have been more clear in saying that 8 takes means 8 recorded tracks, i.e. panned call and responses. So essentially, I am forced to do exactly what you reccomend but instead of doing it on 2 tracks I have to use 16 in this case - you can see where that would be a pain in the ***.

I definitely need to find the option in DP that does what pjk describes for Reaper, which is what I was trying to describe with the Cool Edit Mix Paste function.

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Apr 01, 2009 08:38 pm

In Sonar I simply choose to overlap them. I know what your trying to do indellable but I'm not familiar with DP at all anymore. In Sonar it is simply an overwrite option. It should be in the drag and drop options maybe.

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